


Brothers

by somethingscarlet13



Category: Hetalia - Fandom, Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Fist Fights, Fluff, Gen, Minor Violence, Swearing, he's like toddler age, japan is little in this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-07
Updated: 2017-02-07
Packaged: 2018-09-22 16:56:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9616877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/somethingscarlet13/pseuds/somethingscarlet13
Summary: During a time of great poverty, Matt & Al get in trouble while waiting in line to get food.





	

**Author's Note:**

> If you comment, bookmark, or in other way tag this as Matt/Al, I'll make sure you can never read another one of my fanfics ever again because that's just gross & it's sad that I even have to say this in the first place

Al was standing alone. Mattie had gone ahead to guesstimate how much would be left by the time they were there. It was making him uncomfortable, being alone. Usually Mattie was right there with him. He knew his little brother was also an adult now, but that was very hard to fully grasp when he had raised the kid himself. 

Suddenly the crowd parted for a young man with long, strawberry blond hair down to about his chin, grey-blue eyes, and round glasses. The man had his hand over his nose and Al could see blood gushing from between his fingers.

“Al!,” the young man shouted, and began running at the waiting Al. The slightly older man ran forwards too. “Mattie?! Who the fuck punched you?! I’ll kill them!”

“They thought I was you! They called me a stupid Yankee and said that I still owe them money because they thought it was you! Al, what did you do?!” 

This is the exact reason I cut my hair, Al thought. This shouldn’t still be happening. 

The boys had always looked too much alike. Dirty blond hair, although Al’s was slightly darker and he had cut it short last year, and glasses. Both boys also had blue-grey eyes and, since Mattie got almost all of Al’s hand-me-downs, the boys dressed alike as well. Of course, Al was about two to three inches taller than his little brother and much meaner than the good-hearted Mattie. But most others didn’t know the boys night and day personalities and were often blaming Mattie for his big brother mistakes. 

Mattie whimpered as the blood kept coming. Al gently tipped his head back and took Mattie off to the side. “Stay here,” he told his little brother. Mattie glared at him. “Al,” his voice was very nasal through his pitched-shut nose, “Don't get involved with them. They’re not worth it.” Blood was gushing profusely from his nose now. His hand was covered in it. “Let’s just go home and you can help me fix my nose.”

Al shook his head. “No way in hell Mattie-Matt. They mess with the bull they're gonna get the horns.” Matt groaned. “Aaaaalllllllll...........,” he whined like he used to when he was a kid. Al chuckled. “Just sit tight here, Mattie-Matt. I’ll be right back.” And with that he disappeared into the crowd.

Al shoved people out of his way to get to the area where his little brother had been hit. “Oy, asshole!,” he shouted into the crowd as she shoved by more people. “I heard you were looking for me!”

“I just punched you in the nose, how the hell did you heal so fast?”

Al whipped around to see a Chinese man around his own age with a long ponytail over one shoulder glaring at him and holding onto a little black-haired boys hand. 

“That was my brother ‘yah dick. How would you like it if I punched your little brother?” Al pointed to the young boy holding the young mans hand. The kid squeaked and hid behind his older brothers leg, afraid Al would actually hit him. His brother placed his hand on his black hair. “Its ok Kiku. He isn’t going to hurt you.” 

“Don’t tell me what I am and am not gonna do. You hit my little brother, why shouldn't I hit yours?” 

The Chinese mans eyes flashed. “Because he is a child! Your brother is an adult.”

Al cut him off with a punch to the jaw. “You shut your fucking mouth about me and most definitely about Mattie!” 

His opponent rubbed his face and then smiled darkly at Al. “Fine. You want a fight, I’ll give you one.” 

The little boy, Kiku, made a noise. “No! Yao you promised you wouldn't hurt him after you got the money!” Yao pushed up his sleeves. “I haven't gotten the money,” he replied. “This no good, son of a--” He was cut off as Al kicked him in the gut and sent him flying. Kiku screamed. 

Yao was back on his feet again in a flash and his little brother tugged at the bottom of his shirt. “No, Yao, please!” The kid is ignored and Yao rushed at Al, who steps out of the way just in time, laughing. “Dumbass.”

Back outside, Mattie is still waiting for Al to come back out, handkerchief pressed to a nose that won’t stop bleeding. He hopes that when Al comes back out it’s with food, not a broken arm. Al had gotten into too many fights to count when they both lived together in the orphanage, but of course he never seen the fights, only his older brother coming back with a black eye or a scratch on his face given to him from another kid. 

Suddenly a young boy with short black hair came running out of the building like he’s on fire. He looked around desperately and his eyes finally land on waiting Mattie. He runs over and speaks, even though he is trying desperately to catch his breath. “Sir.........come quickly.........it’s getting bad!”

Mattie looks down at this kid, at the terrified look in his eyes and desperation in his voice and the way he looks like he wants to run off again. He knows right away what it is, he’s had that look on his face plenty of times in his childhood. He had seen this young boy with the man who punched him. Al.

Mattie follows this little boy through the crowd, both running. How could he be so stupid?! Al hasn’t gotten into a fight in years! Yes Al used to constantly get into fights, but he stopped when Mattie was becoming a teenager, not wanting to be a bad influence. Mattie has to be held back by someone behind him, so wrapped up in his thoughts he almost walked right into the fight. 

The fight was bad. In the short time Kiku had gotten Mattie, Yao had given hell to Al’s face and Al had dislocated Yao’s shoulder. Mattie was horrified. He had never seen one of Al’s fights and now he knew what his brother had been protecting him from. Mattie never wanted to see something like this again. He couldn't just do nothing, he had to intervene somehow. 

Maybe it was his inexperience with fistfights, the very fact that Al had protected him from things like that, that made Mattie run into the fight and stand almost protectively in front of Yao just as Al was coming at him again.

Either way, for the first time in his life, Mattie is hit by Al. And not just hit, but punched. Hard. 

Al didn’t mean to, he was trying to hit Yao, but his hand was moving and the figure came out of nowhere and got hit instead. The figure that only afterwards did Al realize was Mattie. 

Al froze in shock and horror at his own actions. He took a tentative step forwards. “Mattie......” 

The younger of the two, still blinking away the shock, help up a hand. “It’s ok Al. It was an accident. Just give me a sec......” He rubbed the spot on his face where Al had punched him and Al took another step forwards. “Mattie.....”

“Al,” Mattie’s voice was sharper now and he put his hand on Al’s shoulder to keep him away. “I said I’m fine. Leave it alone I can take care of myself you know.”

Al froze. Take care of yourself? He thought. No. No, I raised you. You have no idea what I’ve protected you from. You can’t take care of yourself.

It was a stupid thing to get upset over and Al knew it, but Mattie had no idea just how much Al had protected him while they were growing up. Of course Mattie saying that would upset Al. 

Al ignored his little brothers request and came over to help him out anyways. “Al!,” Mattie said, and Al tried to ignore the fact there was a jab of anger in his brother's voice. “I said I’m fine.”

And then there was a first for Al as Mattie shoved him away. 

The first thing through Al’s mind wasn't anger, but the memory of Mattie as a baby. The first time Mattie had grabbed onto his shirt and smiled up at him. And now Mattie, the kid brother he raised for christs sake, was shoving him away. Now the anger set in.

“Matthew.” Al’s voice was sharp as the edge of a stone and Mattie flinched at the sound of his full name. The younger brother turned around, hand still on punched place and shoulders hunched, making himself small. “Yes Alfred?” Mattie may be be looking small, but when he spoke it was just as nasty as Al’s tone had been. And he, too, had used the full name. 

Now Al was getting really angry. “Why you mouthy little.........”

“Go on Alfred. Say it.” Mattie was testing him and they both knew it. Yao and Kiku looked on from the side.

Mattie sneered and wiped the crusty old blood away from his nose from the punch Yao had given him. “Say it Al. Come on, I dare you.”

Since when had sweet little Mattie become this mean? Or had this been something Al had influenced on him and had been held back up until now? Al knew kids were influenced by certain things in life and so he had tried to be the best role model, but was this because of him? Had Al made Mattie like this?

And just like that, all the fight was out of Al. He just wanted to get what they had come from and go home. He suddenly felt very old. he sighed heavily. “Come on Mattie. Let’s go home.” 

But Mattie stood there, feet apart and arms crossed. “No. Come on Al, what were you gonna say?”

Al shook his head. “Come on Mattie.” Mattie didn’t move. “You’re acting like a child.”

“Is’t that all I am to you?” 

It was like Mattie had punched him. Al blinked back the tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. “Fine.” He spoke slowly and softly. He was speaking this way because if he didn’t, he’d start crying at any moment. And even now he had to be the tough older brother. “Leave if you want. If I’m holding you back.”

Mattie’s eyes got wide, but he quickly regained his composure and nodded, one quick jerk of the head. “F-fine.” Mattie tried to hide the stammer in his voice, but nothing got past Al when it came to his little brother. 

Mattie turned around and walked away. He didn’t look back.

Al watched him go, the memories of raising the young man in front of him running through his head all at once, like a train moving too quickly. 

The first one was of Mattie’s first word. It had been Al’s name, Al’s full name, but being a baby cute little Mattie with his big blue eyes said it like: “A-fed.” Al had sworn himself to be the best role model in the world for Mattie at that moment, but life is hard and Al learned that first hand. He had soon started to do anything to get money, to keep them on his feet. Mattie had never said thank you for any of it, but Al took his brothers company as a thank you. It was so much easier to go through it all knowing that at the end of the day there was someone who was there with him. Someone that made it so Al wasn’t going through all of the shit in the world alone.

What the hell am I doing? Al thought to himself. I can’t let him leave.

Al was off and running in a flash, literally shoving everyone and everything in his way out of it. He hadn’t been alone before in his life and he wasn’t about to start now. Being alone was like the concept of dying: dark and scary and you didn’t know what was beyond it. 

Besides, Al didn’t know if he knew how to be alone. 

His entire life, Al had thought that he was the older brother, doing everything for Mattie, but now, as he desperately ran to get Mattie back, he realized that maybe he depended Mattie more than Mattie depended on him. 

Al was back on the street. He stopped running and caught his breath as he searched with desperate, wild eyes for his brother. 

Mattie was nowhere to be seen.

Desperate, Al started stumbling around the streets, screaming Mattie’s name. All it got him was weird stares and avoidance. Somewhere along the way Al discovered he was crying. Still, he pushed on. He just hoped he wasn't to late, that Mattie hadn't gotten on a bus or train or something and left. 

“Tough older brother indeed.”

Al turned around and there was Mattie, with a shiny black eye. “Al, everyone is this damn town hates you--ak!”

Al pulled Mattie into a bone-crushing hug. “Did someone else mistake you as me?,” he asked. Mattie, crushed against Al’s dress shirt, nodded. “Yes.” 

Thank god, thought Al. For once, the curse of Mattie being blamed for Al’s mistakes had proved to be useful. Al hugged his brother tighter. “Al.........I........can't..........breathe.” He paused, and when Al still wouldn’t let go he spoke again. “Please let go.” 

“No way in hell.” If I start crying again, I don’t want you to see. 

“Al, this is getting really awkward. People are staring.”

“Don’t care.” 

Mattie felt himself be squeezed again, and then Al’s body started shaking. “If you ever pull a stunt like that on me again..........leave.........I’ll.............”

“Al, are you crying again?!”

His older brother pulled back and Mattie saw that he was, in fact, laughing. Hard. “You fucking deserve that punch you asshole.” Mattie gave him a small smile in return. Al stopped hugging Mattie, but kept one arm around him as they started walking home together. 

“But....what about the food?”

“We can get that tomorrow.”

“..............Ok.” 

There was a few moments of silence and then Mattie asked, “Hey Al, I’d still like to know what you were going to say.” 

Al looked over at Mattie, no longer having to look down. Mattie was really growing up into a fine young man. Maybe Al didn’t suck at being a big brother after all. He squeezed Mattie’s shoulder.

“I was going to say I loved you Mattie-Matt. I was going to say I love you.”


End file.
